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Tuesday, September 11, 2012

U.S. Marshals Arrest Puerto Rico Most Wanted Fugitive After 14 Years

San Juan, PR – A major fugitive wanted
on Puerto Rico state charges for his alleged participation in a 1998 murder of
a man in Ponce, Puerto Rico was captured in Huntingdon Valley, PA, by the
United States Marshals Service.

Carlos Rodriguez-Alcala was being sought
on a State warrant issued in the District of Puerto Rico. He had been a
fugitive from justice since 1998, when the Puerto Rico Police Department
Homicide Division began investigating him for the brutal murder of a Ponce man
as well as for several violations of Puerto Rico weapons laws.

Recently, the United States Marshals
Service led Puerto Rico Violent Offenders Task Force became involved in the
fugitive investigation and developed information that Carlos Rodriguez Alcala
may be hiding in Pennsylvania working in the automotive sales industry. This
information was passed on to the U.S. Marshals led Eastern District of
Pennsylvania Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force who was then able to arrest the
fugitive at his work place in Huntingdon Valley, PA without incident. It was a
swift arrest for this long sought after fugitive.

Carlos Morales Alcala is now awaiting
extradition back to Puerto Rico to face his charges in Puerto Rico state court.

"The U.S. Marshals Service
throughout the nation combines local and federal law enforcement resources to
ensure that fugitives are captured no matter how long it takes. We will
continue to hunt fugitives, find them, and make sure that they face their
charges in court," said Orlando Rivera, U.S. Marshal for the District of
Puerto Rico.

Annually, investigations carried out by
the U.S. Marshals result in the apprehension of approximately 34,000 federal
fugitives. More federal fugitives are arrested by U.S. Marshals than all other
federal agencies combined.

U.S. Marshals Service led task forces
are composed of a combination of local and federal law enforcement officers to
combine their expertise and resources. The objective of these task forces is to
seek out and arrest the worst violent offenders in each community. Last year,
U.S. Marshals led task forces arrested more than 27,000 state and local
fugitives on felony charges.

The U.S. Marshals Service led Violent
Offenders Fugitive Task Force is composed of law enforcement officers from the
San Juan Municipal Police Department, the Puerto Rico State Police, the Puerto
Rico Department of Corrections, the Puerto Rico State Treasury Department, the
Puerto Rico Bureau of Investigation, the Puerto Rico National Guard and the
United States Marshals Service.

Additional information about the U.S.
Marshals Service can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov.